cotterell



c. M. COTTERELL 2,735,995

QUICK RELEASE BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Feb. 21, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 4. 1952 lnT/mlnr C/zarles MoZZereZZ 1956 c. M. COTTERELL QUICK RELEASE BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Filed April 4, I 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w M 0/ M M fl W United States PatentO 2,135,995 7 QUICK RELEASE BATTERY TERMINAL CLAMP Charles M. Cotterell, Bennett, Colo. Application April 4, 1952, Serial No. 280,516 1 Claim. or. 339-235 This invention relates to a novel construction'of battery terminal clamp and more particularly to a'clamp formed of separate sections having means whereby the clamp sections may be released for a limited movement away from one another before the nut and bolt fastening employed for securing the clamp sections together is loosened to thereby enable the clamp to be disengaged from a battery terminal post without loosening the nut and bolt fastening.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a quick release battery terminal clamp which can be readily removed even when corroded without danger of injury to the battery and which commonly occurs when attempting to remove a corroded clamp of conventional construction, wherein it is necessary to loosen the clamping fastening, due to the fact that in exerting suflicient force on the fastening to accomplish the loosening thereof frequently results in the battery post being torn loose from the battery casing and plates.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamp which can be removed from a battery post even when corroded without necessitating the prying of the clamp off the post and which frequently results in the battery case being punctured or the terminal post torn loose therefrom and the battery plates loosened and bent.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a terminal clamp of extremely simple construction which is capable of being economically manufactured and sold, which will be efficient and durable in use and which will save considerable labor in removing terminal clamps on storage batteries in addition to eliminating the danger of injury to the battery.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating the presently preferred embodiments thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating one embodiment of the invention in an applied position;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the clamp taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a plan view similar to Figure 1 illustrating another embodiment of the invention;

Figure 6 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 7-7 of Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a cross sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 88 of Figure 6.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and first with reference to the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the quick release battery terminal clamp as disclosed therein and designated gen- 2,735,995 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 erally 10, comprising the invention, includes a clamp section, designated generally 11, and a clamp section, designated generally 12. The clamp section 11 comprises an elongated bar, having a socket 13 formed integral with or suitably secured to and projecting from one end thereof and in which an end of a conductor cable 14 is adapted to be suitably anchored. The bar forming the clamp'section 11 is provided with an arcuately bowed terminal post engaging portion 15 near but spaced from the end thereof remote to the socket 13. The terminal portion of the bar forming the section 11, which is disposed remote to the socket 13, extends from one end of said arcuate portion 15 andis apertured to provide a fastening receiving ear 16. The remainder of the bar forming the section 11 constitutes a substantially straight neck portion 17 extending between the opposite end of the arcuate portion 15 and the closed end of the socket 13' and which neck portion is disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the socket 13 and substantially parallel to the car 16. The neck portion 17,

, adjacent the arcuate portion 15, is provided with an elongated slot 18 which extends longitudinally thereof.

The other clamp section 12 includes an arcuate intermediate portion 19 likewise forming a terminal post engaging part and which has a straight extension at one end thereof which is likewise apertured to form an car 20 which corresponds substantially to the ear 16. The section 12 likewise comprises a bar from which the portions 19 and 20 are formed and which portion 20 constitutes one end thereof. The clamp section 12 is pro vided with a restricted opposite end forming an extension of the other end of the arcuate portion 19 and which extension includes a restricted shank 21 which extends from the arcuate portion 19 and which terminates in an enlarged head 22 which is disposed in a plane at a right angle to the plane of the portions 19 and 20 and whichhead 22 is provided with an opening 22a. The head 22 is sized to pass freely through the slot 18.

The ears 16 and 20 are provided with aligned openings or apertures 23 for loosely receiving the shank of a headed bolt 24 to the threaded end of which is applied a nut 25. The bolt head 24 engages the outer side of one of the ears and the nut 25 the outer side of the other ear for drawing said ears toward one another, in a conventional manner, when the fastening 24, 25 is tightened.

A pull pin 26 has a shank or stem which is adapted to be passed downwardly through the opening 22a of the head 22 after said head is passed through the slot 18 and said pin 26 is provided with a collar or enlargement 27, which is spaced from its head 28, which is adapted to rest on the head 22 so that the pin head 28 will be disposed above and spaced from the neck portion 17. The collar or stop 27 bears against a portion of the neck above the slot 18 and on its outer side or the side thereof remote to the section 12 said neck portion 17 is provided with an enlargement or protuberance which is disposed below the slot 18, as seen at 29 in Figure 4, for engaging the shank end of the pin 26 to combine with the collar 27 to prevent the pin shank being bent by a pull exerted on the section 12 tending to cause the head 22 to slip through and out of engagement with the slot 18. The pin 26 is applied before the fastening 24, 25 is tightened to secure the clamp 10 in clamping engagement with a terminal post 30 of a storage battery, a portion of which is indicated at 31, and it will be readily apparent that the end of the movable clamp section 12 which is pivotally connected to the neck portion 17 of the clamp section 11 by the pin 26 may swing relatively to the clamp section 11 as the fastening 24, 25 is tightened for readily drawing the sections into clamping engagement with the terminal post 30.

greases Even though the clamp 10 should become badly corroded so that the fastening 24, 25 may not be readily loosened, the pin head 28 may be gripped by a suitable implement such as a pair of pliers, not shown, and the pin 26 withdrawn from the opening 22a. The opening 2340f the ear 20 affords sufficient clearance so that after the pin 26 has been removed from the head 22 the clamp section 12 may rock on the bolt 24 to allow the head 22 to swing and slide sufficiently through the slot 18 from right to left of Figure 4 to .loosen the clamp 10 enough so that it may be readily lifted ofi of the post 30 and after which the nut '25 may be removed from the bolt 24 without danger of injuring the post 30 or any other part .of the battery 31.

Figures to ,8 illustrate another form of the quick release battery clamp, designated generally 32 and which is composed of the clamp sections 33 and 34. The clamp section 33 is provided with an intermediate portion having an inner recessed surface which is arcuately curved as seen at 35 to engage a portion of the battery post 30. One end of the clamp section 33 forms an ear 36 provided with an aperture and the other end of the section 33 is provided with a socket 38 which opens outwardly thereof and in which is secured an end of a battery conductor cable 14. The section 33 is provided with a neck portion '39 which is cut away at the top and bottom vthereot'to be of a reduced width as compared to the vertical diameter of the socket 38. The clamp section 34 is provided with an intermediate portion having an internal recess 40 providing an arcuate surface corresponding to the surface 35 and which is disposed in opposed relationship thereto for engaging around another portion of the post 30. One end of the clamp section 34 forms an ear 41 which is adapted to be disposed adjacent the car 36 and which is provided with a relatively large opening 42 to loosely receive the shank of the bolt 24a. The opposite end of the clamp section 34 is provided with a pair of laterally extending top and bottom legs 43 and 44, respectively, which are adapted to straddle the neck portion 39 with the leg 43 disposed thereabove and the leg 44 disposed therebeneath. The legs 43 and 44 are provided with aligned openings 45 adjacent'their free ends or terminals for receiving a pull pin such as a cotter pin 46 which extends downwardly therethrough and the intermediate portion of which is adapted to bear against the outer side of the neck 39, which constitutes the side thereof remote to the clamp section 34. A nut 25a which engages the threaded end of the bolt 24a 1s adapted to be tightened 37 for receiving the headed bolt 24a for drawing the ears 37 and 41, which are located between the nut and bolt head, toward one another for causing the clamp section 34 to pivot on the pin 45 which fulcrums against the outer side of the neck 39 to securely clamp the device 32 to the terminal post 30. However, it will be readily apparent that even though the clamp 32 should become so corroded that the nut 25 may not be readily loosened, the cotter pin or pull pin 46 may be withdrawn upwardly from engagement with the legs 43 and 44 and when removed, said legs may swing and slide partially across the neck 39 in a direction from right to left of Figure 8 to loosen the clamp sections 33 and 34 sufficiently so that the clamp can be removed from the post 30 without loosening the fastening 24a, 25a.

Various other modifications and changes are likewise contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined .by the appended claim.

I claim as .my invention:

.A quick detachable battery post clamp comprising clamp sections having complementary ends detachably and adjustably connected by an adjustable clamping unit, said clamp sections having portions disposed remote from said ends 'in crossed relation to one another, means extending detachably through one of said crossed portions and bearing detachably against the other crossed portion and forming a pivotal and limited sliding connection of the clamp sections, said clamp sections having complementary post engaging portions disposed between said crossed portions and ends, said means comprising a headed pull pin having a stop spaced from the head thereof for spacing the head of the pin from said crossed portions to facilitate the disengagement of the pin therefrom, and means of which said stop forms a part to prevent bending of the pin when a pressure is exerted thereon by the clamp sections being drawn toward one another.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS aw w 

